Zion Appears on Gilbert's Arena

[Pelicanidae]

Beginning at about 1hr24m, Zion appears on Gilbert Arenas' show.

This is, to my memory, the first public appearance Zion has made without any spokespeople with him since he was on Reddick's podcast years ago.

I will transcribe key elements of what he said below, as it was a pretty good interview/discussion.

[Pelicanidae]

Questions in Bold, Answers Below. Answers will be pretty close to verbatim but I may get things slightly paraphrased because I'm typing this up as I listen, cause I'm not listening for a third time. I'll also add in occasional points of context in bold. Questions will be much more loosely paraphrased.

Is it hard to diet at your age?

Sheesh, since it's you I'll be real. There are times when I wasn't... that s**t hard. I was 20, 22, a lot of money, it feels like all the money in the world, it is hard. But I'm at that point now where because of certain things, I have the wisdom around me of - I don't want to say older because they take offense to it - but people around me with wisdom who put me on game with certain things and go from there. [Arenas points out that he found it hard when he was young also] Yeah it's that invincibility trick.

Rather than it just happening, discipline is a decision you have to make. Thoughts?

It goes back to what I was saying back there man, it's an invincibility trick. When you're young you feel like can't nothing stop you but then you look back and you think, the people who gave me wisdom, who tried to nurture me, tell me you don't need to do that, they didn't try to force their way but I'm looking back at who really tried to give me wisdom, to put me on game to things. At the end of the day people try to give you their opinions and I do respect brutal honestly. I'd rather someone be honest to me than try to sugar coat it because at the end of the day if they're honest I know what I need to do to fix it.

Arenas points out that he's looking slimmer already. He then says that he knows how good Zion is but he's been waiting for him to get on it because it's been holding you back.

Zion is asked if it's more cardio or dieting?

With diet, I'm always able to come back each summer feeling good and looking good but I would say it's more of a, locking in on flexibility, band work, because it's those things that will keep me on the court longer rather than just losing a bunch of weight but then not being able to come on the court and maintain that. S**t, Bron got the blueprint [seriously, says Arenas, it's a job for him, he takes it so seriously but part of that is the veterans he came in with, some of us are not fortunate enough to have those veterans no we're not, that's real.

I feel like some of your past situations aren't even so much weight, just injury misfortune and the weight is a problem that accumulates with that. It's unfair you've had to deal with weigh criticisms based on the fact that you're injured - without the injuries, the weight wouldn't be an issue because you come into the season in shape.

I just like hooping. Man, you gotta understand - you of all people understand - I'm a hooper so when I'm sitting on the sideline watching my teammates on the side and we're losing I'm just thinking, s**t, I just know if I was out there I could change the outcome of it. Whether people want to believe it or not, when I'm on the sideline that hurts me more than anything. I want to hoop.

Arenas points out how stupid it is when people come back to play just to prove that they're hurt - stay out until you're healthy.

Mike said it best, if you take care of what you gotta take care of on the court, everything else will all into place. Nobody was saying nothing about you when you were Agent 0, doing your thing. What I want people to know about me is that I want to be out there. Nobody wants to sit on the sidelines. I don't want to sit over there hurt. Coach K taught me that I have to own up to my responsibilities. There are a lot of things that I could have done better, I didn't, and I'm in the process of fixing those wrongs.

[new city champ]

I don’t know about y’all but I wasn’t tremendously reassured by that interview. Yeah we all know you just want to hoop. That’s not the issue. The issue is will you do all the other work that allows you to hoop? That’s hard. That’s why LeBron is the exception not the rule. I’m not sure I see or hear a guy in Zion who gets that, who wants to live and train that way. Seems like he thinks if he plays well every thing else will take care of itself. It won’t.

[luckyman]

He specifically said 'Bron has all the answers' and that's who he wants to emulate.

All you have to do is listen.

[new city champ]

Sure, take everything he says at face value and just leave it at that. That’s all you have to do…

[neworleanshoo]

He literally said what you said you didn't hear, but okay. He's earned the doubt, he'll have to earn the belief.

[Pelifan]

tristan thompson has claimed lebron has the worst diet ever. I hate the narrative that when a great player is good it must be because they're in the gym longer, eating better, care more. It's mostly just because they're literally built different.

Ingram and Herb just seem to me like all they want to do all day every day is play basketball, but they're never going to be as good as the guy from Denver who really just wants to ride horses

[RobertM320]

I don?t know about y?all but I wasn?t tremendously reassured by that interview. Yeah we all know you just want to hoop. That?s not the issue. The issue is will you do all the other work that allows you to hoop? That?s hard. That?s why LeBron is the exception not the rule. I?m not sure I see or hear a guy in Zion who gets that, who wants to live and train that way. Seems like he thinks if he plays well every thing else will take care of itself. It won?t.

Did you actually just IGNORE this?

Coach K taught me that I have to own up to my responsibilities. There are a lot of things that I could have done better, I didn't, and I'm in the process of fixing those wrongs.

[Pelicanidae]

tristan thompson has claimed lebron has the worst diet ever. I hate the narrative that when a great player is good it must be because they're in the gym longer, eating better, care more. It's mostly just because they're literally built different.

Ingram and Herb just seem to me like all they want to do all day every day is play basketball, but they're never going to be as good as the guy from Denver who really just wants to ride horses

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-...op=1&r=US&IR=T

Headline of that article: ''LeBron James reportedly spends $1.5 million per year to take care of his body — here's where it goes''

Lebron is famously obsessive over his physical state and recovery. From that article:

James is one of the most physically dominant players in the league, but it doesn't all come naturally. James is said to spend seven figures a year — with one report saying $1.5 million — to take care of his body. That covers costs from his home gym, trainers, massage therapists, chefs, appliances, and more.

James' former teammate Mike Miller said James treats his body like an investment. "Where a lot of people don't do it, he puts a lot of money behind taking care of his body. A lot of people think it's a big expense, but that big expense has allowed him to make a lot more money for a long period of time."

A big part of James' physical work is the various forms of treatment he gets to prepare for and recover from games. He was reportedly one of the first players to invest in a cryo chamber, which uses liquid nitrogen to essentially be a more efficient version of an ice bath.

James is also a fan of using the hyperbaric chamber to put more oxygen into his body.

And he wears compression gear on flights after games and gets hooked up to an electrostimulation machine to flush out toxins and make his muscles contract.

Say what you will about Lebron, but pretty much everyone knows that this is a guy who cares about taking care of his body and spends the money required to do it. If Zion is looking to put even 75% of that effort in to his own physical condition, that's an elite regimen.

[Pelicanidae]

He also said that he's spent the summer working on flexibility and athletics training because it should help him avoid the kind of strain that takes him out of games sometimes, and that the weight gain tends to happen during recovery periods when he can't work out as much as he wants - therefore, working on stuff that keeps him on the court should help his recovery times, his weight issues, and his longevity.

He's literally outlining what he's doing and why he's doing it to address the problems you're saying he doesn't acknowledge.

[Pelifan]

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-...op=1&r=US&IR=T

Headline of that article: ''LeBron James reportedly spends $1.5 million per year to take care of his body — here's where it goes''

Lebron is famously obsessive over his physical state and recovery. From that article:











Say what you will about Lebron, but pretty much everyone knows that this is a guy who cares about taking care of his body and spends the money required to do it. If Zion is looking to put even 75% of that effort in to his own physical condition, that's an elite regimen.

Yea i've seen that article. I'm going to trust a teammates first hand account over a writer for the business insider, who is not in the lockeroom with him seeing how he spends his time and is writing with a bias. People eat up stuff like Kobe shows up 3 hours early for workouts, steoh's workout is the most grueling in the league etc. which is why people keep writing it. The amount of money someone spends on their body is completely irrelevant compared to the amount of time, energy and discipline they spend. The guy working hardest on their body in the league isn't Lebron. It's probably some guy barely scraping by trying to get the another contract.

I have no doubt Lebron does a lot of the right things, but he also does a lot of the wrong things.

[Pelicanidae]

Yea i've seen that article. I'm going to trust a teammates first hand account over a writer for the business insider, who is not in the lockeroom with him seeing how he spends his time and is writing with a bias.

Another of his teammates is literally quoted in that same article saying the opposite. So it comes down to whether you trust Mike Miller over Tristan Thompson.

[luckyman]

This is why Zion being more open in media doesn't seem to matter.

People will take the words from his mouth and come up with their own narratives anyway.

Zion: "I've just changed to a vegan diet"

Media and fans: "Hahaa my sauces say he eats cake for breakfast"

[Pelicanidae]

All he is saying is what he thinks he should say but there's no real intelligence or maturity there. Doubt he will ever figure it out in time on his own. I hope he does, for his sake.

What Zion needs to do is actually and properly humble himself first

Zion: ''I've spoken to Coach K, I've seen that I've done things wrong and I'm working on fixing that''.

You: ''This guy needs to humble himself and speak to some experts who know what they're talking about, not just people who suck up to him!''

Insane stuff.

[Pelicanidae]

This is why Zion being more open in media doesn't seem to matter.

People will take the words from his mouth and come up with their own narratives anyway.

Zion: "I've just changed to a vegan diet"

Media and fans: "Hahaa my sauces say he eats cake for breakfast"

It's tough to just call something hating, but at this point it's legit what it is.

[Pelicanidae]

I think you're not reading between the lines and are taking what he's saying at face value without realizing that he's only saying what he knows he needs to say but there's been no real lessons learnt. It's like the difference between saying "I'm sorry" and "I repent"... saying sorry and doing the same thing again is not repentance. Know what I mean?

If he's making a change this summer based on an accumulation of evidence from the past few years, how are you supposed to judge whether he's actually making the shift or whether he's just talking to save face? The answer is that you can't know that he's blowing hot air - you can only presume it.

Why presume it? Because you're pre-disposed to judge him negatively regardless. He's saying the right stuff. Of course it's possible that he's just gotten some recent PR training and that in reality nothing has changed, but Nance and Trey have both publicly gone to bat for him recently saying that he's on the right path, and there have been reports saying that he's been more committed to the organisation than ever before and at the Pels facilities more than anyone else this offseason, so there's plenty of reason to suspect there might have been a shift.

Combine that with becoming a father, and the recent massive public backlash his past mistakes have had, it isn't exactly a reach to assume he might have had a moment of clarity and decided to be a bit different in future.

So why don't we be optimistic about changes, based on all that evidence, rather than just completely dismissing it out of hand? The answer is because you don't like him, which is totally your right but it does come across as far more personal spite than professional evaluation.

[PELICANSFAN]

He talks about older people giving him wisdom. He also talks about band work, diet and flexibility. Those are all things CJ has stressed with regards to younger players needing to learn. I wonder if he has CJ giving him that "wisdom."

[Pelicanidae]

He talks about older people giving him wisdom. He also talks about band work, diet and flexibility. Those are all things CJ has stressed with regards to younger players needing to learn. I wonder if he has CJ giving him that "wisdom."

I think it's notable that 10 months ago, him and BI were laughing at CJ for stretching out in the locker room, and now Zion is publicly talking about doing band-work to maintain his flexibility in order to avoid injury.

Feels like CJ and, given Nance's public stance on Zion, maybe a bit of Larry too.

[As I See It]

If he's making a change this summer based on an accumulation of evidence from the past few years, how are you supposed to judge whether he's actually making the shift or whether he's just talking to save face? The answer is that you can't know that he's blowing hot air - you can only presume it.

Why presume it? Because you're pre-disposed to judge him negatively regardless. He's saying the right stuff. Of course it's possible that he's just gotten some recent PR training and that in reality nothing has changed, but Nance and Trey have both publicly gone to bat for him recently saying that he's on the right path, and there have been reports saying that he's been more committed to the organisation than ever before and at the Pels facilities more than anyone else this offseason, so there's plenty of reason to suspect there might have been a shift.

Combine that with becoming a father, and the recent massive public backlash his past mistakes have had, it isn't exactly a reach to assume he might have had a moment of clarity and decided to be a bit different in future.

So why don't we be optimistic about changes, based on all that evidence, rather than just completely dismissing it out of hand? The answer is because you don't like him, which is totally your right but it does come across as far more personal spite than professional evaluation.

You show what you are by what you consistently do and heretofore, his actions have always proven incongruent with his words.

So I'm sorry, he's earned all the skepticism he gets. Besides, if reports are true, why would the Pelicans entertain trade offers for a 'mega-talent' who's 'now on the right track'?

Words are cheap; show me the results.

[Pelifan]

Another of his teammates is literally quoted in that same article saying the opposite. So it comes down to whether you trust Mike Miller over Tristan Thompson.

again the writer is steering the questions here. He doesn't have to ask "have you ever seen Lebron have a cheat day?". Lebron invests a lot of money on his body, so does the guy who has a gym membership and a peloton bike that collects dust in the attic. So what?

There's a ton of pseudo science in nutrition and sports medicine. Largely because everybody's body reacts differently. Lebron doesn't have the secret blueprint Zion should follow. Considering his body type I honestly think he should be looking more in the NFL arena for players who were injury prone/ had weight problems and overcame them. Lebron is not the role model. He's a unique physical exception when it comes to durability. If Zion wants to test to see if the things Lebron does work for him that's great, more power to him, but he's just simply not built like Lebron and that's not going far enough.

[Pelicanidae]

again the writer is steering the questions here. He doesn't have to ask "have you ever seen Lebron have a cheat day?". Lebron invests a lot of money on his body, so does the guy who has a gym membership and a peloton bike that collects dust in the attic. So what?

Comparing those two things is ridiculous to the point of borderline dishonesty, imo. There is no NBA player who is on the ''peloton in the attic'' level, even placing that side by side with Lebron is absurd.

And the whole ''well, we don't want talk, we want results!'' angle is obviously illegitimate if you're going to claim that it's all just hype for Lebron too. Man's 20 years deep into an NBA career, has been in absurd physical shape literally the entire time and until he was 35+, never really had any serious injuries. If we can't believe that Lebron is taking care of his body, then nobody is. It's all ''no talk, show me the results'' until the results are there, and then it's just a mystery.

Saying that going as far as Lebron is ''not going far enough'' is ridiculous.

[6warddude]

a man learns best when he gets burned.....zion will have a MVP type season coming up and im sticking to this...

[PELICANSFAN]

You show what you are by what you consistently do and heretofore, his actions have always proven incongruent with his words.

So I'm sorry, he's earned all the skepticism he gets. Besides, if reports are true, why would the Pelicans entertain trade offers for a 'mega-talent' who's 'now on the right track'?

Words are cheap; show me the results.

Maybe because the reports are not true. Unless you believe a blogger over Griffin himself who said as much.

[Pelicanidae]

Maybe because the reports are not true. Unless you believe a blogger over Griffin himself who said as much.

I mean, every exec will say they didn't have talks around a player.

I'm sure that Zion's name came up in discussions - just like I'm sure everyone's name did, including CJ, BI, Nance, JV, and Trey.

But framing it as if Griff was actively shopping Zion is completely not true - even according to the reports we got from bloggers. There's nobody other than like, NY based twitter accounts, who argued Zion was actively being shopped. It was only ever ''if we go for Scoot/Lillard/etc, what will be the price?'', which is a very different conversation.

[Pelifan]

Comparing those two things is ridiculous to the point of borderline dishonesty, imo. There is no NBA player who is on the ''peloton in the attic'' level, even placing that side by side with Lebron is absurd.

And the whole ''well, we don't want talk, we want results!'' angle is obviously illegitimate if you're going to claim that it's all just hype for Lebron too. Man's 20 years deep into an NBA career, has been in absurd physical shape literally the entire time and until he was 35+, never really had any serious injuries. If we can't believe that Lebron is taking care of his body, then nobody is. It's all ''no talk, show me the results'' until the results are there, and then it's just a mystery.

Saying that going as far as Lebron is ''not going far enough'' is ridiculous.

Lebron came into the league as a young player and was injury free playing 80 games a season right away at age 18. This is before he's buying cryo chambers or electostimulation machines to "flush toxins" (lol).

Comparing him to Zion is worse than comparing an NBA athlete to a guy with a peloton they don't use. I'm not saying Lebron is not going far enough. I'm saying Zion copying Lebron is not going far enough. He needs to adapt his routines and self care based on what works specifically for him. There is no blueprint, but like I said I'd start with guys who have actually managed to shake the injury prone label before I went with trying to take stuff from what Lebron is doing.

Zion can't copy Lebron because Lebron is a different animal physically. I really don't know how I can make that more obvious.

You can't just say because a guy has played 20 seasons that he's got all the answers and everyone needs to copy him. That's the real disingenuous thing here.

I don't really care about talk or results. There's a realistic possibility Zion's body doesn't hold up no matter what he does. I just care about the consistent effort, which we as fans don't get to see and can only speculate about.